Warning: This article contains spoilers for Percy Jackson and the Olympians season 1, episode 3 and the Percy Jackson novels.The third episode of Percy Jackson and the Olympians has been released and has numerous Easter eggs and hidden details. Despite the poor reception of the previously adapted films, the Disney+ TV series has already been more promising, its first two episodes also hinting at book details and nods to certain mythological stories. Therefore, expectations with each episode can only get bigger as fans anticipate big plot moments.
Episode 3 involves Percy, Annabeth, and Grover embarking on a quest to the Underworld. However, they’re faced with major monster obstacles, such as Alecto and her sister and Medusa. While the constraints of the TV format mean fight sequences tend to be shorter, Percy Jackson and the Olympians episode 3 reveals more and dives deeper into the main trio’s characterization and backstories, particularly for Annabeth and Grover. Aside from some changes, like Percy using Medusa’s head to turn Alecto to stone, the episode contains multiple book references and hidden details.
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10 A Fossilized Item In The Attic
This item is seen as Percy approaches the Oracle
At the start of the episode, Percy enters an attic to face the Oracle. Like in the book, the attic is filled with dusty artifacts and mythological items. Notably, there’s a jar with a fossilized-looking item, likely a horn or talon of a monster. As Percy steps forward, a mirror is revealed opposite it and his and the jar’s reflections are shown. This references the encounter with Medusa in the book where reflective surfaces are used to keep track of her without turning into stone. Although the show doesn’t utilize this method with Medusa, it’s a subtle nod to book fans as well as a foreshadowing of the character.
9 Grover Tends To A Black Pegasus
This winged friend foreshadows a future companion
Just as the Pegasus Percy spots in episode 1 foreshadows his anticipated companion, the scene in episode 3 with the Pegasi does the same. Grover scoops up animal droppings as a black Pegasus stands nearby, and he asks the creature what its eaten. Although two others are seen in the small pasture behind them, this black Pegasus foreshadows Blackjack, Percy’s first animal companion that he acquires in Sea of Monsters. Additionally, in Greek mythology, Pegasus is born once Perseus kills Medusa, and is fathered by Poseidon. This adds a secondary layer of foreshadowing to Percy’s killing of Medusa later in episode 3.
8 Percy’s Golden Drachmas With Mythological Imprints
Numerous coins have monsters engraved on them
In the book, Percy gets 100 dollars and 20 golden drachmas, whereas in the show, he gets “200 dollars in cash and a bag of [drachmas].” On them are engravings of different mythological beings. The most notable one here is the Hydra, foreshadowing the creature which appears in the Sea of Monsters book. Additionally, the scene uses Percy’s currency to further impress upon the audience Luke’s helpfulness towards Percy as he is the one to explain to him what drachmas are. This further sets up the misdirection about Luke, as he is not yet revealed as an antagonist.
7 Grover Explains More About What Monsters Sense In Demigods
This sets up how Alecto and Medusa toy with the trio
The first two episodes of Percy Jackson and the Olympians already established that Percy’s power is detectable by monsters through scent since he’s a demigod (and even more so, a forbidden child). However, in episode 3, Grover explains that “what a monster senses kind of depends on the monster.[…] Wherever your armor is weakest, that monster’s probably coming right for it. Nothing will stop them, not even death.” This nods to the lore around creatures of the Underworld not actually dying when killed, but rather being banished back to the Underworld until Hades sends them out again.
Additionally, it strays from the source material, but this explanation sets up the episode’s main theme of trust. A weak point for Annabeth is her pride in completing a quest and Percy’s is his extreme loyalty to those he loves. Both of them are preyed on by Alecto and Medusa to try and get each of them to turn on the others.
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6 Percy Questions Annabeth & Grover About Phones
This subtle nod to the books explores more monster lore
While walking through the woods, Percy mentions that staying in the wilderness makes it harder to find a phone to call Camp Half-Blood for help. Annabeth brushes it off, as if a phone is the last thing they need. This sets up a key detail about the books that the movies got wrong. According to the books, technology in general is frowned upon because monsters can track and trace demigods’ voices, making them easier to find. Much like masking Percy’s scent with the foul stench from the bus toilet in episode 3, explaining away phones hints at another element the series is staying faithful to from the books.
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5 Various Stone Monsters In Medusa’s Garden
These statues hint at creatures in Rick Riordan’s universe
Although there’s no confirmation of future seasons of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Rick Riordan’s books are expansive beyond just Percy’s story. Medusa’s stone garden references this, alluding to possible future creature cameos. Percy, Annabeth, and Grover spot a bat-like winged monster, a cyclops, and a werewolf-like monster, among others. The former could reference the Camazotz, the Mayan god of bats and a main antagonist in the Storm Runner trilogy by J.C. Cervantes, which falls under Riordan’s ‘Rick Riordan Presents’ imprint. The cyclops references Percy’s cyclops brother Tyson who features in the Sea of Monsters book. The werewolf-like creature acknowledges the lycanthropes in Riordan’s Heroes of Olympus book series.
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4 Percy Learns The Full Thalia Story
The Disney+ show explores Grover and Annabeth’s history
Grover and Annabeth’s information about Thalia adds onto what Luke told Percy in the previous episode, namely the pact of the Big Three. Percy jokingly mentions Annabeth will really miss the tree when he sees her with it before they depart for their quest. Grover tells Percy that Thalia turned back to fight the Furies to buy Luke and Annabeth some time and Zeus turned her into a tree to protect her. Later, it’s revealed that Grover was Annabeth’s protector during this same encounter. This sets up the later arrival of Thalia, Zeus’ daughter, particularly in one of Percy’s dreams.
3 Medusa’s Mythology Is Altered
Some key details about Athena in Medusa’s story changed
In the book, Medusa’s backstory explicitly includes mention of her and her gorgon sisters being in Athena’s temple, thus leading to Athena reacting by implementing the curse. Medusa’s backstory in the show, however, suggests her fate is the gods’ way of protecting their own interests. By punishing a devoted follower of Athena instead of Poseidon, who, according to mythology, seduced Medusa, highlights this. This slight rewriting of Medusa’s story helps facilitate her attempt to sway Percy from the quest by trying to insinuate Annabeth is not to be trusted, which links to Percy’s prophecy. Giving Medusa a calmer demeanor ties into the notion of monsters manipulating a demigod’s weaknesses.
2 Grover Wears Luke’s Winged Sneakers
The magical shoes tie into the book & how to keep Percy safe
Luke gives Percy the winged shoes early on in episode 3, but the show handles how Grover gets them differently than in the books. Instead of having Chiron explain why Percy can’t wear the shoes, Grover explains Percy can’t be on a plane since the skies are Zeus’ domain. This hints at why Grover gets to wear the sneakers instead of Percy.
Although Grover doesn’t use them as efficiently in the series as he does in the books, he’s able to distract Medusa when he crash-lands, so Percy can attack. Additionally, the winged sneakers are an important aspect of a later-revealed detail about the shoes being cursed to drag Percy to Tartarus once in the Underworld. This also ties into Percy’s dreams about being dragged into Tartarus, which happens in the book.
1 Hermes Delivers Medusa’s Head
The messenger god provides subtle hints to Olympus
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hermes makes a surprise appearance at the end of episode 3. Audiences get to see Hermes travel through New York to the Empire State Building, where he enters an elevator, unlocks a secret button to the 600th floor, and steps off into Olympus. The song that plays in the elevator, which Hermes sings along to, is “Arthur’s Song (Best That You Can Do)” by Christopher Cross. The song includes the lyric “When you get caught between the moon and New York City.” This references Olympus’ location as literally between the moon and New York City, shown by the imaginary 600th floor, which would be beyond the clouds.
Additionally, giving Hermes a brief cameo, while he performs a delivery service, nods to his role as the messenger god and teases his appearance in future anticipated scenes. This also ties into the subtle nod to Olympus earlier in the episode when Percy looks out a taxi window and sees the Empire State Building. Overall, Percy Jackson and the Olympians‘ episode 3 adds to more of the existing lore from the books, as well as Greek mythology. This indicates, yet again, how the Disney+ show’s creators are focused on a satisfying retelling of the beloved story and how it offers references fans can enjoy, even when altering the source material.
Percy Jackson & the Olympians
Based on the novel series by Rick Riordan Percy Jackson & the Olympians is an action-adventure fantasy television series created for Disney+. When Percy Jackson is framed for the theft of Zeus’ almighty thunderbolt, Percy must clear his name, all while harnessing the powers inherited by his father, Poseidon, at a camp created for demi-gods.
- Release Date
- December 20, 2023
- Cast
- Walker Scobell , Leah Sava Jeffries , Aryan Simhadri , Jason Mantzoukas , Megan Mullally , Glynn Turman , Adam Copeland , Virginia Kull , Lance Reddick
